U.S. patent application number 15/940607 was filed with the patent office on 2018-08-16 for reproduction of ambient environmental sound for acoustic transparency of ear canal device system and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to BRAGI GmbH. The applicant listed for this patent is BRAGI GmbH. Invention is credited to Nikolaj Hviid.
Application Number | 20180234754 15/940607 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58096507 |
Filed Date | 2018-08-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180234754 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hviid; Nikolaj |
August 16, 2018 |
Reproduction of Ambient Environmental Sound for Acoustic
Transparency of Ear Canal Device System and Method
Abstract
An ear piece for use by an individual having an external
auditory canal includes an earpiece housing configured for
placement within the external auditory canal of the individual, a
processor disposed within the ear piece housing, at least one
microphone disposed within the earpiece housing wherein the at
least one earpiece is positioned to detect ambient environmental
sound, and at least one speaker disposed within the earpiece
housing. The ear piece is configured to detect ambient
environmental sound proximate the external auditory canal of the
individual using the at least one microphone and reproduce the
ambient environmental sound at the at least one speaker within the
earpiece housing. The processor is further configured to modify the
ambient environmental sound based on shape of the external auditory
canal such that audio perception of the ambient environmental sound
is as if the ear piece was not present.
Inventors: |
Hviid; Nikolaj; (Munchen,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BRAGI GmbH |
Munchen |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
BRAGI GmbH
Munchen
DE
|
Family ID: |
58096507 |
Appl. No.: |
15/940607 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15244958 |
Aug 23, 2016 |
9949008 |
|
|
15940607 |
|
|
|
|
62211732 |
Aug 29, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 1/1016 20130101;
H04R 2420/07 20130101; H04R 1/1091 20130101; H04R 1/1075 20130101;
H04R 2460/05 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04R 1/10 20060101
H04R001/10 |
Claims
1. An earpiece for use by an individual having an external auditory
canal, comprising: an earpiece housing configured for placement
within the external auditory canal of the individual; a processor
disposed within the earpiece housing; at least one transceiver
operatively connected to the processor; at least one microphone
disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to
the processor wherein the at least microphone is positioned to
detect ambient environmental sound; at least one speaker disposed
within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the
processor; wherein the speaker is configured to reproduce the
ambient environmental sound; wherein the processor is further
configured to determine the size and shape of the external auditory
canal; and wherein the processor is further configured to modify
the ambient environmental sound based on the size and shape of the
external auditory canal.
2. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the shape of the external
auditory canal is determined at least in part based on a size of a
sleeve for the earpiece.
3. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the shape of the external
auditory canal is determined by a user setting.
4. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece housing is water
resistant.
5. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one speaker is
positioned at the external auditory canal proximate a tympanic
membrane of the individual.
6. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one speaker and at
least one microphone are used to map the size and shape of the
external auditory canal.
7. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece further comprises
a gestural interface.
8. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to
apply sound filters associated with size and shape of the external
auditory canal.
9. The ear piece of claim 1 wherein the at least one microphone
comprises a plurality of microphones.
10. A method for an ear canal device, the method comprising:
providing an ear piece for use by an individual having an external
auditory canal, the ear piece comprising an earpiece housing
configured for placement within the external auditory canal of the
individual, a processor disposed within the ear piece housing, a
user interface operatively connected to the processor, at least one
microphone disposed within the earpiece housing wherein the at
least one earpiece is positioned to detect ambient environmental
sound, and at least one speaker disposed within the earpiece
housing; detecting ambient environmental sound proximate the
external auditory canal of the individual using the at least one
microphone; determining the size or shape of the external auditory
canal; modifying the ambient environmental sound based on shape of
the external audio canal of the individual; and reproducing at the
ambient environmental sound at the at least one speaker within the
earpiece housing to thereby provide for audio transparency.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the reproducing occurs at one of
the at least one speaker nearest a tympanic membrane of the
individual.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the ear piece further comprises
a biological sensor and further comprising sensing a biological
parameter using the biological sensor.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein the user interface comprises a
gestural interface.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one speaker and at
least one microphone are used to map the size and shape of the
external auditory canal.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the earpiece further comprises
at least one LED.
16. The method of claim 17 wherein the process is configured to
convey information to the user using the at least one LED.
17. The method of claim 10 wherein the shape of the external
auditory canal is determined by a user setting.
18. The method of claim 10 wherein the processor cycles through
different size settings and modifies the sound differently at each
size setting.
19. The method of claim 19 wherein the user selects the size
setting by using a user interface.
20. The method of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to
apply sound filters associated with size and shape of the external
auditory canal.
Description
PRIORITY STATEMENT
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/211,732, filed Aug. 29, 2015, and is a
continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
15/244,958, filed Aug. 23, 2016 both applications are hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to wearable devices. More
particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to
ear canal devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
[0003] The use of ear canal devices is becoming increasingly
prevalent. Ear canal devices are gaining recognition for their
ability to provide a stable platform for the transmission of sound
to the individual from many types of linked devices including,
without limitation, phones, portable music players, watches and
computers among others. Further, the ear canal has been recognized
as a rich area for the monitoring of many biometric parameters.
Pulse oximetry, temperature, heart rate, speed and pace are several
examples of data that can be tracked or monitored from ear canal
devices.
[0004] Additionally, they have the advantage of relatively stable
positioning on the user, and are subject to less movement variation
than sensor arrays that would be worn elsewhere, such as on the
wrist. However, the use of these devices can become problematic for
the user, as they can cause a decrease in auditory acuity due to
their position at the ear canal. Thus, there is a need to restore
auditory transparency when using ear canal devices.
SUMMARY
[0005] Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage to
improve over the state of the art. It is a further object, feature,
or advantage to restore audio transparency when using ear canal
devices.
[0006] A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is to provide for the ability to use external microphone
or microphones to detect ambient environmental sound.
[0007] Another object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is to account for the sound shaping characteristics of
the external auditory canal.
[0008] Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present
invention is to present the signal through the microphone located
in the external auditory canal nearest the tympanic membrane to
allow the user to perceive acoustic stimuli in such a fashion that
the device is acoustically transparent
[0009] Another object, feature, or advantage is to avoid the need
to accept diminished auditory inputs at the level of the external
auditory canal.
[0010] One or more of these and/or other objects, features, or
advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the
specification and claims that follow. No single embodiment need
exhibit each and every object, feature, or advantage. It is
contemplated that different embodiments may have different objects,
features, or advantages.
[0011] According to one aspect, an ear piece for use by an
individual having an external auditory canal is provided. The
earpiece includes an earpiece housing configured for placement
within the external auditory canal of the individual, a processor
disposed within the ear piece housing, at least one microphone
disposed within the earpiece housing wherein the at least one
earpiece is positioned to detect ambient environmental sound, and
at least one speaker disposed within the earpiece housing. The ear
piece is configured to detect ambient environmental sound proximate
the external auditory canal of the individual using the at least
one microphone and reproduce the ambient environmental sound at the
at least one speaker within the earpiece housing. The processor may
be further configured to modify the ambient environmental sound
based on shape of the external auditory canal such that audio
perception of the ambient environmental sound is as if the ear
piece was not present. The ear piece housing may be water
resistant. The at least one speaker may be positioned at the
external auditory canal proximate a tympanic membrane of the
individual. The ear piece may further include at least one
biological sensor operatively connected to the processor. The at
least one biological sensor may include a pulse oximeter and/or
temperature sensor.
[0012] According to another aspect, a method for an ear canal
device is provided. The method includes providing an ear piece for
use by an individual having an external auditory canal, the ear
piece comprising an earpiece housing configured for placement
within the external auditory canal of the individual, a processor
disposed within the ear piece housing, at least one microphone
disposed within the earpiece housing wherein the at least one
earpiece is positioned to detect ambient environmental sound, and
at least one speaker disposed within the earpiece housing. The
method may further include detecting ambient environmental sound
proximate the external auditory canal of the individual using the
at least one microphone and reproducing at the ambient
environmental sound at the at least one speaker within the earpiece
housing to thereby provide for audio transparency. The method may
further include modifying the ambient environmental sound based on
shape of the external audio canal of the individual. The
reproducing may occur at the speaker nearest a tympanic membrane of
the individual. The ear piece may further include a biological
sensor and the method may further provide for sensing a biological
parameter using the biological sensor. The biological sensor may be
a pulse oximeter, temperature sensor, or other type of biological
sensor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a wearable device in the
form of a set of earpieces.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates one example of an ear piece positioned
within an external auditory canal of an individual.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
device.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] To restore auditory transparency when using ear canal
devices through the use of at least one external facing microphone
to detect incoming auditory stimuli. Said incoming auditory signal
can be shaped to account for the characteristics of each user's
external auditory canal. Sound would then be presented to the
tympanic membrane via a speaker present in the user's external
auditory canal. This renders the ear canal device acoustically
transparent. The user's hearing is unaffected, and auditory
perception is as if the device wasn't physically present at the ear
canal.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a wearable device in the
form of a set of earpieces 10 including a left ear piece 12A and a
right earpiece 12B. Each of the ear pieces 12A, 12B has a housing
14A, 14B which may be in the form of a protective shell or casing
and may be an in-the-ear earpiece housing. Note that when each of
the earpieces 12A, 12B is placed within a corresponding external
auditory canal the external auditory canal of the user would be
physically blocked and not open. Thus, the user would not
conventionally be able to hear ambient noise. Although perhaps
appropriate for use in a hearing aid, this blocking of ambient
environmental sound is problematic.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates an ear piece 12A inserted into an ear of
an individual or user. The ear piece 12A fits at least partially
into the external auditory canal 40 of the individual. A tympanic
membrane 42 is shown at the end of the external auditory canal 40.
The earpiece 12A has a sleeve 13A on the earpiece. The sleeve may
be formed of silicone or other material which is safe for an
individual to wear and which improves comfort for the user. The
sleeve may be in any number of sizes including, extra small, small,
medium, and large.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a device. The device
may include one or more LEDs 20 electrically connected to a
processor 30. The processor 30 may also be electrically connected
to one or more sensors 32. Where the device is an earpiece, the
sensor(s) may include an inertial sensor 76, an accelerometer 74,
one or more contact sensors 72, a bone conduction microphone or air
conduction microphone 70, a pulse oximeter 76, a temperature sensor
80, or other biological sensors. A gesture control interface 36 is
also operatively connected to the process 30. The gesture control
interface 36 may include one or more emitters 82 and one or more
detectors 84 for sensing user gestures. The emitters may be of any
number of types including infrared LEDs. The device may include a
transceiver 35 which may allow for induction transmissions such as
through near field magnetic induction. A short range transceiver 34
using Bluetooth, UWB, or other means of radio communication may
also be present. In operation, the processor 30 may be programmed
to convey different information using one or more of the LED(s) 20
based on context or mode of operation of the device. The various
sensors 32, the processor 30, and other electronic components may
be located on the printed circuit board of the device.
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates one example of a method. As shown in FIG.
4, in step 100 an ear piece is produced. In step 102, the ambient
environmental sound is detected. In step 104, the ambient
environmental sound is reproduced within the external auditory
canal with or without modification. Where the ambient environmental
sound is reproduced with modification, the modification may take
into account the size and shape of the external auditory canal of
the individual in order to modify any received signal in a manner
to best approximate or reproduce the sound as if heard directly by
the user as opposed to having the sound sensed on one side of the
ear piece (the external side) and reproduced at the other side of
the ear piece (the inner side nearest the tympanic membrane). The
sound processing performed by the ear piece may further take into
consideration position of one or more microphones of the external
earpiece as well.
[0022] Generally, the ear canal is about 2.5 cm (1 in) long and 0.7
cm (0.28 in) in diameter with a sigmoid form and runs from behind
and above downward and forward. It has a generally oval
cross-section. The size and shape of an external auditory canal of
a user may be determined in any number of different ways. For
example, sound signals may be emitted by a speaker and reflections
of those sound signals may be detected by one or more microphones
in order to map the size and shape of the external auditory canal
such as by using shifts in frequency or delays. The size and shape
of the external auditory canal may also be determined at least in
part based on the size of the best fitting earpiece or an
associated sleeve which fits around the earpiece. The size and
shape of the external auditory canal may be also be determined
based on direct measurement, photogrammetry, or other observation.
In addition, the user may select different sizes and shapes for
their external auditory canal. For example, the earpiece may cycle
through a plurality of different size settings and modify a sound
differently at each setting. The user may then select through voice
command or through the user interface whether the setting or
settings produce a better or worse reproduction of the sound in
order to select the appropriate settings. The ambient environmental
sounds themselves may be modified in various ways based on the
different external auditory canal sizes and shapes. For example,
one or more sound filters may be associated with each setting or
combination of settings. Alternatively, settings regarding ear
canal size and shape may be used to parameterize other sound
processing algorithms used in reproduction of the environmental
sound.
[0023] Therefore, various examples of systems, devices, apparatus,
and methods for restoring auditory transparency when using ear
canal devices through the use of at least one external facing
microphone to detect incoming auditory stimuli have been shown and
described. Although various embodiments and examples have been set
forth, the present invention contemplates numerous variations,
options, and alternatives.
* * * * *